CHAPTER ONE
Stirring his tea slowly, L dropped three sugar cubes thoughtlessly into the steaming cup, one by one. The aroma of slowly steeping leaves filled the space around him, leaving the mouths of others in the room watering slightly, as if the tea were their own; though, none of them drank tea. Years ago, studies had been conducted to prove a link between the caffeine addictions across the globe and the rising cancer outbreaks. Not only did these studies succeed in linking the issues, they were victorious in smiting them as well. Upon direct orders from the World Health Board, all caffeinated products (including tea) were banned world wide. And, in order to prevent a relapse, so were their decaffeinated counterparts. Overnight, like alcohol and cigarettes before them, caffeine became a part of the past. L was still bitter about the verdict. Issues like these are mind over matter. L thought to himself, Funny that the World Health board, the greatest medical corporation in existence, chose to ignore the search for a cure and instead created a disease to which there is no vaccination; angry Americans without morning coffee. In fact, though tea grinds were rare, the sugar cubes he added for flavour were even rarer. Another smart call by the health board, L thought sarcastically to himself, by the time they're done, I'll have no habits left to break.Still, given L's extremely rare situation, laws were hardly applicable to him anymore. Turning towards the others in the room behind him on a swivelling recliner (one of the few things that hadn't been affected over the long years), he set the tea on a tray next to him.
Three pairs of eyes stared back at him like a small child would in the dinosaur section of a museum. For that is what L had become, a wonder of the human race. With the passing years, he had gone from famous detective to legendary deity. As a rough estimate, he now controlled more power than every world leader combined. Coughing slightly to break the eerie silence, he mumbled audibly, "What is it that you need?"
The others shuffled nervously; a few of them had never so much as heard L speak before and now held their breaths, star struck. L picked up his tea, taking in its bitter-sweet aroma, before continuing, "Now don't all speak at once…"
One of the executive officers stepped forward and started cautiously, "Ryuzaki, I don't know how to say this… we all came here from different nations and each of us has a different reason for being here… but there is a common cause to our call." He inhaled deeply before continuing, "Recently, there has been an open threat to every single government in power across the world… maybe more implied than not… you get the idea..."
As the officer continued to stutter his way through an explanation, L sighed and stared into the depths of his tea. Where did the days go when I was just another person on the street? He thought to himself. They ended a long time ago, his mind replied. While staring into his tea, L saw his reflection. Thick, matted hair strung out in all directions, obscuring his vision in some places. A single thumbnail was raised to his lips, a nervous habit he had never been able to break. To the ordinary man, he might've looked like an average college student malnourished due to lack of money; except for his traitorous eyes. They were those of a wise, old man, who had seen too much, learned more than was frighteningly normal, and thought on a level superior to everyone around him. L sighed deeply, I haven't aged a day, but I can certainly feel it. The world is a different place now, not the same one I grew up in. Politics are no longer controlled by corporations and economics; they are arranged by a few strong communists, with unlimited money and resources. Gone are the days when a man can rely simply upon intuition.
"…So you see it's really…and well…Ryuzaki?"
"Hmm?"
"Oh… I thought for a moment you weren't paying attention… never mind, I guess you might have a better idea of what I mean if you see it for yourself… would you like that?"
"Like what?"
"Would you like to see the video for yourself?"
Ryuzaki sighed, those days are long gone… "I would, thank you."
The nervous man crossed the room, grabbed a DVD from his coat pocket, and inserted it into a DVD player while L turned his chair around to face the massive TV/computer screen in front of him. Instantly, it filled up with the forms of two massive robotic machines; human like in appearance, yet more powerful and awe-inspiring. One of them was a bright green, while the other was coloured in blues, whites, reds, and yellows. The green humanoid prepared to assault the other when something unexpected happened. As if the other had been standing still, the multicoloured machine retaliated. Within a fraction of a second, the green robot had been decimated beyond repair and the multicoloured machine took flight. When countered in the sky by military aircraft, the machine continued to advance as if the others were not even there; predicting their movements, anticipating their actions, and retaliating expertly. When it appeared that it had finally been cornered, L watched in surprise as the military aircraft began to explode in mid-air. Knowing that it could not be the work of the cornered machine, L searched for the true reason. That was when he noticed the sniper on the ground, camouflaged in white with green touches. So, L thought to himself, while the multicoloured Mobile Suit held the military's attention in the sky, this other machine chose an ideal location on the ground, out of military range, and began sniping on the spot... clever. In a matter of minutes, the military had been eradicated and the two machines had disappeared into the sky. As the first clip cut out, a second showed a terrorist attack on one of the energy orbital elevators in space. As they prepared their final assault on the 'Pillar of Heaven', two more machines flew into the battlefield. Both of them were different than the previous ones, yet they still emanated the same aura of power. One, an expertly handled fighter jet, manoeuvred thorough the extremists and shot them down. A single terrorist escaped, but not for long; the second machine stood in its way. While the rogue prepared to run him down, the massive white and black machine primed an awesome weapon, locked onto the terrorist, and fired. With a staggeringly brilliant flash of light, the terrorist's machine vanished instantly as it was engulfed in the bright, pink glow; leaving no trace that it had ever existed.
When the second clip ended, a man appeared on the screen. His head was completely bald, except for the small brown goatee upon his chin. Appearing highly intellectual, he emanated the same aura of power as the machines, if not greater, despite being televised through a computer screen. Slightly Hungarian in appearance, he sat in the middle of a room that looked fittingly similar to that of the oval office in Washington DC, with one minor difference. A unique symbol of a yellow icon within a blue crest took the place of the eagle on the floor. Staring straight ahead, the man began in a slight accent, "We are Celestial Being. We are the paramilitary organization that possesses the mobile weapon, Gundam. Celestial Being's goal is to demolish the act of war in this world. We will not act for our own benefit. We stand for the greater goal of eradicating war. Now, we have a proclamation for all humankind. Political parties, religion, energy… no matter the reason, against all deeds of war, we will do all that is in our power to intervene."()
L stared blankly at the screen, unsure how to react. Could this be true, or was it just an elaborate hoax to scare the population into action?
As if reading his thoughts, the stuttering official continued, "We also obtained this information, if you may have your doubts to their authenticity."
The screen divided into four quadrants, each one with a different machine from the clips. As a camera zoomed in on each of them, four separate logos became very distinct, Gundam.
L shook his head slightly, "As convenient as that may be, it does not prove Celestial Being exists, it merely proves this man was well educated on these particular machines."
"I wish that were the case, Ryuzaki, but take this into consideration. Enact, the green Mobile Suit you saw fighting the multicoloured one, was the AEU's greatest prototype."
L stared at the man intently, the AEU's greatest prototype? L slowly took a drink of his tea. Since the depletion of fossil fuels in the Earth, humans have been searching for energy alternatives. By creating three gigantic orbital elevators, which stand 35,790 kilometers from the Earth's surface into its geosynchronous orbit (in order to sustain its own weight in space), they were able to provide an overly abundant source of solar energy for the global population. Dividing Earth into three separate categories allowed energy to be distributed evenly from the three completed elevators. The World Economic Union (or Union) consists of the Organization of American states, Australasia, and Japan. Situated in South America, the Union is run primarily by the President of the United States. Operating a second functional elevator, the Human Reform League (or League) consists of China, Siberian Russia, India, South Asia, Mongolia, ASEAN (Southeast Asia), Papua New Guinea, Korea, and Taiwan. Finally, the Advanced European Nation (or AEU) formed by Iceland, Greenland, Anatolia, European Russia, and Europe itself, owns and operates the third completed 'Pillar of Heaven'. If one of these organizations did not have the ability to create a Mobile Suit powerful enough to counteract these machines, then Celestial Being must truly exist.
While L pondered, a second officer stepped forward who was obviously more confident than the first. With a voice heavy in Russian accent, he began, "Herr Ryuzaki, our time here grows short. I cannot stay here much longer, and I know the other generals cannot either. Our nations need us, for we do not know when these people will strike next. We have been elevated to a full scale, world wide alert. If there is anything you need, then now is the time to speak."
L looked up from his tea and found each man eagerly anticipating his next words. Taking another drink, L sighed silently. This is the most complicated situation the world has been challenged with for a very long time, and we did not fare well the last time. In fact, that was a direct result of my own personal mistakes. Yet, who else could've accomplished it? This was not a matter of ego; it was a matter of truth. I was the only man for the job then, I am the only one now. Crouching over his tea, L shielded himself from the generals intent gazes while dark thoughts penetrated his mind. No, this is completely different than last time, the stakes are higher, time is even shorter, and now I am faced with an entire organization of idealists rather than a lone wolf. Not to mention, they possess weapons, technology, and methods more sophisticated than the most powerful political forces of Earth combined. L frowned slightly, reconsidering his situation, no, the rules may have changed, but the game remains the same. After calculating every possibility, L knew there was only one solution that provided a remote chance of victory. Standing up shakily, he walked across the room, to the only window, and gazed outside. The sky was blue and cloudless, radiating with sunlight. A single bird flew freely across the warm, inviting sky while people walked together below, unaffected by this strange circumstance that would unite them so powerfully. L sighed, yes, the game remains the same and I must do what I must.
"Herr Ryuzaki, we await your orders."
L turned towards the patient officers and gazed at them soberly, "Very well general, here are my orders. I must have every bit of information your separate nations possess on this organization; I need to know all there is to know about them. If possible, I want a line tap on their communications; anything and everything they say and do could become crucial to our victory. At the moment, the world stands at a 12 chance to prevail, but that is completely dependant on how much I know; withholding information from me will not improve our chances. Furthermore, I need data on every single military operation that has occurred, is occurring, and is being planned under each country's leadership. This list must be updated for me every hour on the hour. All this information must be in my database by six PM tonight."
The officers looked in disbelief at each other, before the general finally replied, "You are joking, ja? You cannot be serious! There is absolutely no way that my people will disclose this much information to you! You are being unreasonable; this is out of the question!"
Ryuzaki stared levelly at the man, causing him to fidget, "May I remind you that it was 'your people' who came to me, not the other way around. If you cannot meet my expectations, then find someone else. After all, there must be someone out there better suited for the job than myself..."
The general opened his mouth, as if in retaliation, but then shut it quickly. Hesitating slightly, he mumbled curtly, "I will see what I can do…"
"No general, what you can do will not cut it. It is all or nothing."
An awkward silence filled the room. The general looked venomous, but Ryuzaki either did not notice or chose not to. Malevolently, he replied, "Very well, Ryuzaki… the Human Reform League will premise this, however reluctantly it may be…"
"…As will the AEU…" The stuttering officer added.
"…So shall the Union." The third general concluded.
"Is there anything else you require?" The first general curtly inquired.
L took another drink of his tea before replying, "There is just one more thing… but I must warn you in advance, though the other requests I have made are crucial, my final request is the most essential; it is also the most difficult and impossible for me to obtain. The fate of the world will be solely dependant upon each nation's full cooperation; anything short of that, and we shall not succeed…"
L took one final look out the window as the bird disappeared out of sight. Finishing the bitter grinds that remained at the bottom of his cup, L sighed and finished his sentence causing each general to object in absolute terror, fury, and outrage.
Thousands of miles away, sealed in seven thousand tons of cement and steel, secured by three individual algorithmic locks, and ensnared by over fifty armed guards as well as state of the art surveillance equipment, Yagami Light rested on a military issue cot.
Authors note: The majority of my research, especially regarding Gundam 00, was done on Wikipedia. I do not own Gundam 00 or Death note.
() This is a direct quote taken from Aeolia Schenburg in Gundam 00, Episode 1 and 2.
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